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We are excited to announce our new app for iPhone, iPad, and all Android phones and tablets. The app was built to make it easy to access our product selector, catalog, videos, and customer service. The app turned out to be a beautiful and intuitive tool, and we hope you enjoy using it.
Water filter pitchers can be a cute and inexpensive way to remove bad tastes and odors from your drinking water, but are water filter pitchers really effective?
Testing by the Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants at University of Arizona indicates that brands like Brita, Pur, and ZeroWater can remove 49%-80% of a select few contaminants from your water. You could make the argument that “something is better than nothing” but we prefer not to have 20-100% of contaminants still in our drinking water.
1. Water filter pitchers are not subject to the same standards as full-size, standard sink filtration and whole home filtration. This means you cannot be sure whether the materials are BPA-free or phthalate-free. This also means you cannot be sure of what the filtration media is comprised of and how effectively it actually filters.
2. Water pitchers are slow to filter. It can take about 30-60 minutes for a water pitcher to completely filter the limited amount of water inside it. This means that the water will be gone quickly, and you will have to refill and wait another 30-60 minutes.
3. Water pitchers take up valuable real estate in your refrigerator.
4. Using only a water filter pitcher means that the water you use to clean your clothes, wash your dishes and hands, cook and make tea/coffee, and take showers and baths is still contaminated water. The ice from your ice maker will be made with contaminated water. The water coming through your bathroom faucets and shower heads will also be unfiltered, contaminated water. Why does that matter? Because it’s not just about drinking the contaminants – we absorb and inhale them while showering, washing our hands, etc. Click here to watch how fast chlorine absorbs into the skin.
5. The cost adds up. Purchasing a water filter pitcher is cheaper than a high quality water filter…at first. The initial expense is about $20-60 depending on the brand and size. Add that to the cost of the constant filter replacements and you could have purchased a truly protective, on-demand water filtration system instead.
The main point with a water pitcher is that it provides incomplete protection that is based only a price point and perceived ease of use. You will not have very good protection from water contamination for yourself or our family with only a water filter pitcher in your fridge.
Environmental Water Systems sink filters and whole house filtration do not have any of the issues previously mentioned, and are a hassle-free, cost-effective way to provide full protection from tap water contaminants. They are easy to use and do not require constant replacement. Our ESSENTIAL sink filtration requires a filter replacement every 12 months (1 full year).1 Our EWS Series and CWL Series whole home filtration systems require a filter replacement only once every 10 years.1
In the long run, Environmental Water Systems saves you hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in the cost of filter replacements, bottled water, and your time. Most importantly, however, is the fact that EWS sink filters and whole home filtration are designed strictly for the removal of dangerous contaminants. Instead of an advertising budget and expo booths, we put our money into research, development, and the incredible quality of our materials and American manufacturing. Your health and well-being is our responsibility, and we do not take that lightly.
1Based on your local water conditions and usage.
Choosing the best water filter for your needs is clear cut once you know what to look for – after all, there is a right way and a wrong way to buy water filtration.
Think of it in terms of buying your first set of fine cookware, or a brand new refrigerator. Would you shop on price alone? Of course not. You would you look at the quality of the materials. You would check the warranty. You would note the country of origin. You would be sure whether the size or capacity will suit you and your family. You would check how long the manufacturer has been in business. You would see whether customer support was available and friendly.
It is no different with water filtration.
Some companies would like you to think it is simply a price point, but truly serious, quality filtration cannot be found at the bottom of a price bracket or on the clearance rack of a superstore.
All chatter and marketing buzzwords aside, choosing the best water filter comes down to a few nitty-gritty details. No water filter is “one size fits all.” In order to have healthy drinking water, you need to…
1. Your first step is having a look at your annual water quality report. Google your city name plus the words “water quality report” or click here to search on our water quality report database (if you do not see your report listed, shoot us an email and we will add it). These reports can be tricky to read, so feel free to call and we will go over it with you.
If you are on a well, you will need to obtain an independent well test from a certified lab. Do not have a water treatment/filtration company test your water. That is just asking for improper or biased results. An independent, certified lab is best. Click here for our free well guide and independent lab list. If you already have your lab results, email or fax us your report.
2. With a report in hand, now we determine the contaminants in your water and which disinfectant your city uses (chlorine or chloramine). If you are having a hard time determining this on your own, please feel free to call us.
3. Next, you will need to know your plumbing line size. This is usually 3/4″ or 1″ but larger homes can have 1 1/4″, 1 1/2″, or even 2″ lines. For help in determining your line size, call your builder or plumber, or use our How to Measure Your Line Size guide.
4. Now it important to estimate your approximate flow rate and consumption needs so that you do not select an undersized water filtration appliance. We do not want your water filtration to fall behind in efficiency or effectiveness. We determine this by asking how many people are in the home and how many bathrooms. The minimum flow rate of any household is 10 gallons per minute (gpm). Do not go below that, particularly if there are 2 or more people in your household.
In 2010, we engineered and released our Spectrum Series, at the request of plumbers and trade professionals who wanted a filtration appliance that would suit the majority of homes without having to know these details. The Spectrum is still the most popular whole house water filter appliance in the USA, and it is because it will fit any pipe size from 3/4″ – 1 1/2″, accommodate up to 35 gallons per minute (gpm), and is entirely made in the United States with our signature highest possible grade carbon filtration media.
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If you feel like this is complex, do not worry! You can always use our Product Selector Tool to easily select the best water filter for you. This is the proper way of specifying and selecting a water filtration system, and it might be the first time you have seen an honest method like this. Remember, you can always call us for guidance. A real human being will answer the phone, and together we will go over your water report and discuss the correct options with you.
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